Love & Monsters
by Torchwood85
Summary: If you fight like a married couple, talk like best friends, flirt like first loves, & protect each other like siblings, it's meant to be. Ten/Rose Set S2 A brief dance with the bits in between. Rating increase for The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit. xxoo
1. The Girl in the Fireplace

**The Girl in the Fireplace**

It had been several hours since his companions had left him brooding in the console room on the premise of exploring the many wonders of the TARDIS. He knew Rose was loath to leave him, but she was letting him get over whatever it was in his own time, had probably figured out what had happened the moment he returned to them sans one French Aristocrat. He knew she never bought into the whole '_I'm always alright' _routine anyway.

He set them adrift in the vortex, his usual manic enthusiasm lost as he stood by the console staring into the glass of the rotor for a length of time even he was unsure of. He wandered through the corridors lost in thought until he'd found himself in the library, the worn old leather of his favourite chair a welcomed comfort as the weight of his many years seemed to settle heavily on him in his current state. He sat beside the fireplace, the TARDIS humming softly in the back of his mind attempting to soothe the ache in his hearts.

He'd let her down, both of them. One he'd left standing on a broken down space ship in the 51st Century, the other, well, she had spent the rest of her life waiting for him. She claimed to have loved him, to have known him her whole life. In reality though, it was merely fleeting exchanges throughout her life and perhaps a whole hour for him. But she had seen a part of him he had never shared with another living soul when she had stepped through the door into his mind, she glimpsed a small fraction of himself, his childhood, what it was to be who he was. But this was why her death pressed upon his conscience so heavily, he had barely known her.

Did he love her?

No. How could he?

She was brilliant and interesting yes, but like all historical figures he had met in his travels, her fate was always sealed, a fixed point. No exceptions. It was why he had to save her. Why he'd taken Arthur and crashed through the remaining time window. This was not as history was meant to be, Rose knew it too, it was why she had urged him to go. He knew he would have found a way back, his previous regenerations were all through-out this era, he would have come across one to bring him back eventually. Rose however, trusted him to come back, believed he would always as he had promised. Sometimes the faith she had in him was terrifying.

He stood with a sigh and pulled Reinette's letter from his jacket and taking a step towards the fireplace he let the parchment slip from his fingers. He would not keep the reminder with him, she was at peace now and he would move on as he always must. He shrugged out of his long coat and laid it to rest on the back of his chair before going in search of his companions.

With his hands stuffed tightly into his trouser pockets he wandered back along the corridors. He passed the wardrobe, the swimming pool which was still and quiet as he ducked his head in, past Rose's room and the den which he also found vacant of his travelling companions. He finally found Mickey in the kitchen, soda and crisps in hand as the screen on the wall blared away some horrendously inaccurate science fiction program from the Delta Four Cluster of Andromeda. He had to roll his eyes at the absurdity of it all. He was on a space ship, what did he need to watch that rubbish for?

The Doctor was having second thoughts about allowing Mickey to accompany them, Rose he noted had seemed to dislike the idea at the time but something was on the horizon and he felt that Mr Mickey would become an integral part of it. He'd also hoped to provide a distraction of sorts for himself and Rose, their relationship was evolving, into what he wasn't sure. She had been upset when she learnt of his former companions, but she needed the reminder that he had suffered her past indiscretions too, not only Mickey but the '_pretty boys' _Adam and Jack also to a certain extent. He moved silently continuing on to check the console room before ducking down the barely used corridor to the observatory.

From the door he could see her lying along one of the higher gratings watching the maelstrom of stars swirling across the ceiling. She was humming to the TARDIS, one leg swinging gently as it hung over the edge of the platform.

"I'm sorry." He whispered leaning heavily against the doorway.

"Wha' for?" She replied softly after a time.

"For leaving you like that." He breathed, scuffing his trainer along the floor.

"I told you to go," She replied softly. "Those droids would have changed history, you had to save her."

"Yea." He agreed quietly, swallowing to keep the lump in his throat down.

"Wha' happened?" She asked gently.

"She died." He murmured sadly. "Spent the rest of her life waiting for me."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled turning her head in his direction, "You comin' up or ya jus gonna stand there?"

His lip twitched in the hint of a smile as he climbed. She sat up and waited silently as he dropped down beside her, shuffling until he was comfortable. She leant her back against his arm and rest her head on his shoulder so she could still see the stars above them. He breathed deeply as the soft sweet scent of vanilla and human washed over him, a smell now so deeply ingrained into the TARDIS that he associated it with home.

"Did you love her?" She asked quietly, sadness lacing her voice. She felt him still behind her.

"No," He admitted with a shake of his head. "She loved me-"

"She loved the idea of you," Rose stopped him, "She had no right-"

She stopped before she gave too much of herself away. He had hurt her when he left them, but his admission of not returning Reinette's affections did calm the green eyed monster that lurked behind every though she had of the two of them together.

"She said you were worth the monsters." The Doctor snorted at this.

"If she truly knew me she would never have said that." He muttered darkly. "I'm no angel Rose, the terrible things I've done." Rose could imagine the sadness in his eyes.

"But you are ya know," She turned, only able to glimpse a pinstriped leg due their odd angle. "Worth it."

"Worth wasting the rest of your life waiting?" He quipped, guilt and anger lacing his voice.

"Some things are worth gettin' your heart broken." Sarah-Jane was right about that.

"That's rubbish." He muttered regarding the back of her hair, "Nothing is worth that, I'm not worth that."

"Yes you are and don't you dare say otherwise," She snapped at him, "People are drawn to you, it's just who you are," A sad knowing smile graced her weary features, "You barge in all rude-an-not-ginger, and sweep them off their feet with your brilliant mind and that great big ridiculously gorgeous grin with its unstoppable running gob and great hair and they jus can't help but fall for you, it's who you are."

"All because I'm a bit 'pretty'," He scoffed, "Please."

"Oi," She slapped him on the leg hard, "It weren't jus this you so you can stop that right now."

"Who I was would never have left you behind." He admitted in a whisper.

"Yea but we're different now." She sighed. "You're not as broken, I- I don't think you need me as much as ya once seemed to, plus I've learnt a thing or two bout gettin' myself outta trouble, not so much in need of rescuin' myself these days yea."

"You're wrong you know," He breathed, "I do need you."

"Wha?" She murmured.

"It still hurts," He sighed resting his head back against the wall, "But you make it easier to bare, make it easier to forget, easier to hide."

"I'm still not sure what's worse." She replied uneasily and he chuckled.

"You made me better Rose," He assured her.

"You made me betta too," She faltered, "I'm sorry bout bein' jealous of her and Sarah Jane. It's jus like I said, I thought you an' me were-"

"Rose-" He knew Rose loved him, after all he wasn't blind or stupid, what he hadn't realised until their argument outside the chippie with Sarah Jane, was just how that affection was directed, he hadn't realised that she'd seen the two of them as something a little more exclusive.

"But it's ok ya know, cause I realised that someone like you doesn't jus belong to anyone, you're so many things to so many people, to the universe an' it was childish of me to think otherwise, over 900 years, I was so naive, I jus forget sometimes that you're not human, but now I know, the way we are, and we're not-" She swallowed over the dry lump rising in her throat.

"What are we?" He breathed, oh she must know, surely?

"I dunno," She admitted, "You're my best friend, but it's more than that-"

"Yea it is." He agreed with a sigh.

"When you said I could spend the rest of my life with you did you mean it?" She questioned hesitantly.

"Of course." He frowned, indignity lacing his response.

"I know I said I didn't wanna be just another one in a long line, but," She paused closing her eyes as she pooled all her courage.

"Rose-"

"I'm yours," She cut him off. "I mean not like that um, cause we're not, or whatever, but I am," She stuttered twisting the hem of her shirt nervously, glad in that moment that she couldn't see his face, "There's no one else, not for me, not ever, so if it's alright, I'm gonna stay with you, forever."

"What about Mr Mickey then?" He nudged her gently.

"Nah," She breathed, "Me and im' were over a long time ago."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not." She replied firmly. They sat in companionable silence for what seemed like hours.

"So, forever then?" He began. "That's a long time to put up with me."

"Yea but it's not so bad." She laughed softly, then frowned. "I know my life is like the blink of an eye to you, but I won't leave you or the TARDIS, they'd have to drag me away kickin' and screamin'. You and her, you're my home now."

"Are you proposing to me Rose Tyler?" He whispered, amused at the blush that began to creep up her neck.

"You don't do that sorta thing," She laughed into the material of his suit, letting the familiar smell of him invade her senses, "But I guess it kinda seems that way."

"Who says I don't?" He interjected softly but she could hear the indignity behind it.

"Well how am I supposed to know," She retorted, "It's not like ya ever talk about anythin' like that, I mean you flirt and stuff but isn't it just a bit too _domestic_ for ya, besides you're alien and all that."

"I've been married before Rose." He rolled his eyes.

'You what?" She stiffened in his arm, "Really?"

"Of course," He frowned then raised an eyebrow. "Mind you back then it was all pre-arranged rubbish if you ask me, it's part of the reason I left."

"You – you didn't love her?" Rose questioned softly.

"Love rarely had anything to do with it," He replied honestly, "But some of them, one of my old companions in fact, Leela, she was brilliant, a warrior of a regressed human tribe called the Sevateem, she fell in love with the Commander of the Chancellery Guard, a Time Lord named Andred."

"She was human?" Rose frowned.

"Uhuh," He confirmed.

"So what no witherin' an' dyin'?" She murmured just a little bitterly.

"Not with the Time Lords in the height of their power," He replied heartbreakingly softly, "Different now, only me and this daft old police box."

"I love this box." She smoothed a hand lightly down the wall beside her.

The Doctor chuckled as the shipped hummed affectionately, her lights brightening.

"I think this means we return the sentiment." He replied glancing down at her.

"We?" Her breath hitched slightly.

"Mmmhmmm." He agreed.

"Quite right too." She hid the grin threatening to break across her face in the arm of his jacket.

"Quite right-" He scoffed, "What kind of response is that?"

"Yea well you answer my question first?" She slapped him again, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Hmmm?" His frown deepened. "What question?"

"How long are you gonna stay with me Doctor?" She reminded him gently.

"Oh, that question," He breathed.

She nodded against his shoulder. He was quiet and just when she thought he would back away and they'd pretend like this conversation had never happened he shifted behind her and she squeaked in surprise as his arm came up over her head to settle firmly around her middle holding her back against his side.

"Your mother's gonna see me regenerated for this." He muttered pressing a kiss to the top of her head

"Forever then?" She whispered.

"Forever." He agreed.

* * *

**_Naww love a little bit of fluff. The whole point of this little romp in the 'Bits in Between' is to explain (in my opinion anyway) a few tid bits that RTD threw us throughout series 2 regarding the nature of the relationship between The Doctor and Rose and it's evolution. This chapter, as you may have already guessed, helps me come to terms with The Doctor's ridiculous response on the beach in Norway. Anywho back to it. Reviews = Love so let me know what you think. xxoo_**


	2. The Rise of the Cybermen Age of Steel

Rise of the Cybermen – Age of Steel

The trip back through the breach was a lot worse than their initial fall from the vortex, wires and cables hung limply in the air above them and parts of the console lay scattered across the grating, a sickening stench of burning metal and organics lingering in the smoky haze around them. The Doctor had managed, with a lot of shouting and a disturbing amount malleting, to steer her towards the Cardiff rift circa 1872 as she staggered once again through the vortex, narrowly avoiding their visit to Dicken's by a scant few years. The TARDIS groaned mournfully, her circuits sparking around them as the Doctor lay under the console resoldering circuitry, scorch marks and grease marring the front of his tux, Rose sitting by his legs ready to hand him anything he needed from the toolbox while she stroked the console and whispered words of comfort to the time ship.

"You'll be alright okay," She rest her head against the organics of the console, "He's gonna fix ya good as new."

"- hash e a sanna." The Doctor's voice came from beside her.

"A what?" She muttered sticking her head under the console registering he was attempting to speak with the sonic between his teeth again. She reached in and pulled it from his mouth.

"Ta," He grinned, eyes never leaving his work, "I need the laser spanner."

She nodded and returned the screwdriver to its former position before searching through the toolbox for the requested item. She was drawn to a device similar to the sonic with a hole at the end. Sometimes she thought it was if the ship was helping her to help them both. Her lips twitched to almost a smile.

"This it?" She asked ducking under the console. He nodded taking the item, his entire arm almost disappearing as he reached up into the console.

"Ahah," He exclaimed removing the sonic from his mouth and hauling himself out of the grating. He flicked and pulled various parts of the console before reefing the monitor around to eye level. He grinned wider as the sound of hydraulics echoed throughout the room.

Rose watched as the ceiling cables retracted and rejoined themselves before disappearing, the deep cuts and burns that marked the ships console healing over and returning to their normal healthy green glow. The sound of exhaust fans blaring to life startled her but was relieved when the heaviness that she had felt settling in the room lifted and fresh cool air filled her lungs.

"Much better." The Doctor beamed stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

"She's okay now?" Rose smiled from her spot on the grating.

"Yup," He popped, "Right as rain, or she will be once she's recharged and calibrated. That universe threw her off as I said to Mr Mickey, it's like putting diesel in a petrol engine."

"Good." She gave the console another affectionate sweep of her hand, sighing in relief as she pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. Her thoughts turned back to the last twenty-four hours.

She'd come face to face with what had became of the parallel world's Jackie Tyler, a cold heartless metal machine, that wasn't her mum but she couldn't help but feel bereft despite the way the woman had treated her. Then there was Pete, the parallel version of her Dad who had rejected her, she knew she wasn't his but it didn't make it hurt any less considering the last time she had seen him was dying in her arms. And of course dear, sweet Mickey who chose to leave, chose to stay behind with the Preacher's because he'd found a purpose in life after finally coming to the heartbreaking realisation that he had no place in hers. What she realised was out of everything that had happened, what hurt the most was her own selfishness.

The Doctor's hand brought her out of the depths of her thoughts as it hovered in front of her, waiting to be taken. She sniffed, wiping at the tears beginning to burn behind her eyes before taking the proffered hand and letting him pull her from the floor.

"Thanks," She gave him a watery smile.

"Oh Rose," He pulled her into his arms, "I'm so sorry."

She was teetering on the edge but she didn't want to come undone, he shouldn't have to deal with her baggage and treacherous, weak human emotions. So she clung to him trying to drive away how completely gutted she felt with his presence. But the few moments of being in his arms saw her resolve shatter like glass and he held her tighter as she sobbed against his already ruined tux, her tears seeping through to dampen his shirt.

"Shhhh," He whispered his cheek rest to the top of her head. "They made their own choices and I know it hurts but we have to accept it and move on."

"But it hurts." She sobbed.

"I know ," He soothed, "Trust me I do, and it'll never stop hurting but you can't let the pain stop you, we have to go on, just as they will."

She cried for Mickey and the Jackie who wasn't hers and Mrs Moore and Rickey and the thousands of people who'd lost their lives tonight and then finally she cried for the man who'd lost his wife and then walked away to continue to fight the good fight. In that moment Pete reminded her a little of the Doctor which made her cry in frustration at their situation and the feeling that by crying for the loss of her absent friend she was somehow betraying the alien left to pick up the pieces. Another sore point presented itself, Mickey was so wrong about her and the Doctor she thought, cause he was the one thing, person, alien whatever that she wanted more than anything in the universes, and the one thing she could never have. Mickey was wrong. Cause even now as he held her, she could still feel him keeping her at arm's length, keeping himself back from her. She reluctantly pulled her head away from his chest running a hand down his shirt over the mascara marks that had been added to the ruined tux.

"There goes the deposit." She looked up at his lopsided grin.

"Ah well," Rose sniffed smoothing his jacket lapels with her fingers, "The brown suit looks betta anyways."

"Says the woman who ask's if I'm changing on nearly every planet we stop on," He teased softly, taking her hand and pulling her towards the corridor, said suit tucked firmly under his arm. "Plus I'll have you know I look fantastic in this tux, as you can well see Miss Tyler." He smirked.

"Alright Mr Impressive," She snorted, wiping tears from her eyes, "Jus be careful else your gigantic Time Lord ego will leave no room for me."

"Nah, always room for you," He grinned, "Oh and that was rude Rose, you've been practicing!"

"Learnt from the best didn't I." She smiled nudging his shoulder.

"That you have." He beamed turning to face her when they reached her bedroom door.

"I'm gonna go grab a shower an' get outta this stupid uniform," She nodded to the inside of her room, "I'll come find you when I'm done?"

"Sure," He smiled softly, "I'm just gonna go dispose of this." He fingered his tux distastefully.

"Kay then," She smiled. "I'll see ya soon yea."

"Not if I see you first." He winked turning to saunter down the hall as she closed the door.

He let out a long breath and wandered through his barely used bedroom, almost tripping on a pile of books as he pulled his trainers off.

"Maybe we should take her home." He mused relieving himself of the black suit jacket. The TARDIS rumbling at him in disapproval.

"Not like that!" He exclaimed eyes widening at her implication. He glared at the ceiling as he stripped the rest of the ruined tuxedo and stepped into the shower. "I wasn't planning on leaving her there, just a few days with her Mother."

The TARDIS flashed images across his mind of him going off without her and Rose's panic at his absence.

"I'm not gonna leave without her." He spluttered indignantly as he rinsed off and stepped out, reaching into his abandoned trousers for the sonic to dry himself off.

"We'll stay as long as she wants." The ship rumbled an agreement and he raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Why do you care though," He asked, buttoning his suit jacket, "You've never shown any affinity for companions before?"

She flashed him images of the two of them laughing and running and _living, _something he had done very little of before meeting the small pink and yellow girl. She reminded him also that this companion in particular would always share a part of themselves.

"Yea I remember," He nodded, "Just don't make a habit of exposing her to the vortex, I don't think she fancies seeing the end of this body just yet."

The Doctor's thoughts drifted to Mickey as he pulled on a new pair of trainers and made his way down the corridor.

"_What about me? What if I need you?"_

"_Yeah, but Rose- you don't. It's just you and him, isn't it?" _

"_We had something a long time ago, but... not anymore." _

He knew Mickey had worked it out long ago and so chose not to add insult to injury by denying it. Rose belonged with him and the TARDIS, he'd known it the moment he'd first taken her hand in Henrick's basement and every single time he'd taken it since. No one would take her from him now and may every deity in the universe help whoever tried. He raised an eyebrow at the possessive connotations accompanying his thoughts of late and with a deep breath and a shrug he set the co-ordinates for the Powell Estate and eased them off into the vortex.

XXXxxxXXXXxxxXXX

Rose had been surprised and more than a little wary as they'd landed, expecting to spend a little time spinning around in the vortex, but the look of appreciation he'd received over Jackie's shoulder proved that he'd made the right choice. The Doctor moved the TARDIS out of the living room and into Rose's old bedroom leaving the two Tyler women alone to talk and grieve.

After several hours of adjustments and fine tuning his ship he was about to wander out in search of his companion only to reach for his coat and find her fast asleep on the jump seat underneath it. He frowned, crouching down to gently sweep a piece of hair back behind her ear, her eyes fluttering open at his touch.

"Hello." He smiled. "When did you-"

"Somewhere between tafelshrews and cussin' the TARDIS refused to translate." She replied sleepily.

"You know me," He grinned, straightening up.

"Yea," She laughed sitting up, "Reckon I could make a few sailors blush if I could remember half of it."

"That and a bit more," He agreed seriously, "What are you doing here anyway, thought you were, you know- 'talking' with your mum and all-"

"Mum went to bed," She shook her head with a laugh at his refusal to acknowledge the domestics, "I came in here to watch ya work then I jus sorta drifted off."

"Well," He shrugged sitting down beside her, "You've been up for almost thirty-six hours now, no wonder you were out like a light."

"Yea, I guess." She breathed looking down at her hands in her lap.

"You alright?" He asked gently nudging her shoulder.

"No," She admitted with a small laugh, sad eyes meeting his, "But I think I will be. It's jus' I keep thinkin' bout' Mick's, I mean it's good he got his Gran back, but Pete lost everything, bet he couldn't even face going back home knowin' what happened there, same as Mum, refuses to go anywhere near that church again, she's got no-one either-"

"She still has you," He reminded her softly. "That's a lot more than most-"

"He didn't want me," She shrugged and looked away avoiding his eyes. "Either of em'."

"Is that really what you think Rose?" He levelled his gaze at her.

"It's true," She pulled his coat tighter around her. "It's like everyone I care about keeps slippin' through my fingers-"

"I'm still here," He spoke softly, his hearts constricting with the thought. "I won't leave you."

"Not now," She whispered, "But one day yea, even my Dad didn't want-"

"He wasn't your Dad Rose," He shook his head willing her to realise the difference, "Besides, what did you think would happen?"

"I dunno," She replied softly, "Jus didn't expect _that_."

"You couldn't have stayed with them in that world." He told her gently, silently begging she never leave him.

"I know," She sighed leaning her head against his shoulder, as if she could leave him anyways. "I wouldn't-"

"No but you thought about it," He gazed down at the top of her head; there was no accusation in his voice. "Remember I know you better than anyone."

"You think I wanted to go play happy families off in another universe?" She frowned up at him.

"Weeeell, who wouldn't," He shrugged, eyes diverting over the coral of the ceiling, "Both your parents, lots of money and cars and...stuff-"

"Then you don't know me at all," She spoke quietly sinking further into his coat. "None of that stuff matters to me."

"I know," He nudged her, "But everyone gets tempted sometimes, even me."

"Not temptin' enough for me," She sniffed referring to the parallel.

"Oh, and why's that then?" He began to smirk, resting his long legs atop the console and his arm across the back of the seat behind her.

"Mum's here yea an' well you know, where you go I go," She whispered, his head turning to regard her. "Besides, who knows what type of trouble you'd get in without me?"

He snorted relaxing back against the chair, his eyes closed and his face relaxed as they sat in companionable silence.

"She would have died if we'd stayed over there," Rose whispered looking closely at the hand held in her own, "If anything ever happened to you or the TARDIS I couldn't-"

"Me neither." He admitted quietly releasing a long breath.

Rose nodded and pulled his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss against it before she stood up shrugging out of his coat.

"You just kissed my hand," He cracked one eye open.

"Yea, and?" She shrugged to hide her discomfort, leaning non-chalantly against his legs.

"You've been kissing Mickey with that mouth," He whined, a disgusted look crossing his face.

"Oi I showered," She whacked him across the arm, "Don't be such a baby, 'snot like you're allergic to it."

"How do you know?" He interjected crossing his arms earning himself an eye roll.

"Quit your sulkin' and shift it." She nudged him, "My cuppa won't make itself."

"Hah," He scoffed dropping his feet to the floor and starting up the gangway, "Time Lords do not, I repeat, do **not** sulk,"

"You're right," She looked at him in concern before she smirked. "It's definitely a pout."

His response fell on deaf ears as she took off cackling along the corridor.

"Oi!" He shouted after her indignantly jogging to catch up, "I don't pout either!"

"You're still doin' it." She teased as she pulled milk from the fridge, the Doctor nudging her so she spilt it as he hauled himself up onto the counter-top beside her.

"Oi," She laughed, pouring hot water from the kettle.

"I wasn't pouting I was thinking," He clarified with a sniff as she stirred an obscene amount of sugar into his mug and handed it to him.

"Oh, careful." She teased, turning to lean her hip against the bench.

"Cheeky." He smirked blowing across his drink before taking a sip.

"So go on then," She urged, "What's goin' on up in that big old Time Lord brain of yours?"

"Less with the old thanks, and lots of things really," He mused raising at eyebrow at her, "You mostly."

"Me?" She snorted, "What about me?"

"I worry," He admitted seriously, holding in a breath.

"Doctor?" She queried, concern creasing her brow.

"I worry that one day," He paused in realisation, "One day, you'll wake up and I won't- I won't be enough-"

"What?" She watched as he slipped from the bench and after placing his mug on the table, turned to lean against it, his knuckles turning almost white as he balanced himself.

"We agreed you'd stay but what if that's not-" He was starring off into the cabinet on the wall.

"Enough for what?" She spoke louder, stepping in front of him, effectively redirecting his attention.

"For you." He replied simply, "Maybe you should have-"

She knew that look; it was the one that came with him sending her away for her own good. She was glad now that the walls between worlds were sealed or she might've had to slap him.

"If the next words that come outta your mouth involve Mickey, by whoever the hell Rassilon is, I will slap you into your next body," She warned.

He began to open his mouth to protest but it snapped shut.

"I promised you forever," She ran her fingers across his knuckles until he released the table his cool fingers lacing through hers. "He couldn't give me what I want, what I _need,_ cause I already have it." She watched him, his gaze dropping to their hands in his lap.

"There are some things he could've given you that I can't." He whispered.

"Like what?" She shook her head in confusion.

"Oh lots of things," He breathed, "Safety? A normal life, a home-"

"I have a home Doctor," She stopped him, "In the TARDIS here with you."

"It's not just that." He groaned releasing his hold on her and standing to run a hand through his hair.

"What then?" She shrugged, irritation lacing her voice. "You really think that after all of time and space as my backyard I'd want a cottage an' a picket fence?"

"No of course not." He shot back pacing in front of her.

"Yea you do," She called him out angrily, "You think I'm gonna jus up an' leave you one day to run off with some normal bloke and get married and have kids!"

"Don't be ridiculous," He snorted condescendingly as he paced, "I might be alien Rose but I could still give you those things. I just can't-" He stopped abruptly, his mouth opening and closing mutely.

"Can't or won't," She shot back, hurt flashing across her face.

"Don't twist my words," He warned striding across the room to stand before her, the storm building behind his eyes, "I already said yes once."

"Don't go gettin' all oncomin' storm with me," She poked a finger into his chest, "I'm not afraid of you, you're the one that's scared of followin' through."

"Following through-?" He replied incredulously

"What do you want me to do?" His expression drained any fight she had left. If he still had no idea after everything then he probably never would. Maybe they really weren't on the same page like she'd hoped just a few seconds ago.

"Nothin'," She looked down fiddling with her shirt, "Jus, nothin' it doesn't matter." She brushed past him quickly but he caught her arm, spinning her back to face him.

"It's not 'nothing' Rose," He murmured harshly and she flinched at his tone.

"You already said I could stay with you the rest of my life," She whispered unable to keep the sadness from her voice, "What more could I ask for?"

"Anything," He implored, taking her face in his hands resting their foreheads together, "Rose, _anything_ in the universe, all you have to do is ask and it's yours."

"You can't, you don't-" She whimpered bringing her hand to the side of his face, tracing his sideburn lightly as if she were afraid to touch him. "I-I jus wanna stay with you."

"But it's more than that isn't it-" He breathed a frustrated sigh; he wished now more than ever he could hear what she was thinking.

"Doesn't matter-" She faltered.

"Yes it does," He cut her off, "And I'm asking you Rose, right now, what do you want?"

And there it went, for the second time today, her resolve snapping like a dry twig and turning to dust upon the wind, she only hoped the same thing wouldn't apply to their friendship after this.

"Alright then," She breathed bringing her other hand to his face, her fingers slipping past his ears and latching onto his head as she took a step closer to him. "You wanna know what I want?"

"Yes," He whispered impatiently, his eyes boring into hers as she opened them.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, "It's you." And with that she pulled his lips against hers.

When he gasped from behind unresponsive lips she pulled away instantly, stepping out of his grasp and back into the doorway. She stared at him with big round watery eyes. It was over, she'd ruined everything. She blinked once and her tears slipped down her cheeks but she was too numb to feel it.

"I got it wrong again," Her breath hitched, "I'm sorry, so sorry-"

And then she was gone.

XXXxxXXXxxXXX

The Doctor had searched every possible place she could have gone, he'd even checked her mum's flat just in case the TARDIS had helped her evade him. But no, she hadn't returned there and so he had continued searching room after room for her, his ship remaining uncharacteristically silent. But that was fine, it meant she was here and safe and so logically it meant that wherever Rose was she wasn't ready to see him just yet. He admired his brilliant ship for the care she took in looking after his companion but after two hours he'd decidedly had quite enough.

"Alright," He spoke with an edge to his voice as he strode down the corridor by the kitchen for the hundredth time, "You need to give her back right now or I'll have no chance of fixing this."

The TARDIS hummed in resignation and flashed him an image of her curled up against his chair in the library. He glared at the ceiling. He already been in there four times thus proving his ship had been hiding her from him.

"I'll delete all those desktop themes off the mainframe if you're not careful." He warned her. She hummed apologetically in his mind.

"Oh I'm not mad at you." He muttered darkly, stroking her walls fondly as he walked, "I know you did it because she asked."

He stopped and slowed as he approached the doorway to the library, the sight of Rose sniffling softly as she lay curled up in his chair breaking his hearts, knowing that he was the cause almost killing him. Maybe he should let her slap him into his next regeneration.

What was wrong with him anyway? It's not like he didn't return the sentiment, he'd even told her as much. How could she not know? She was the one that wanted to stay forever and he'd more than wished that she could, of course he'd said yes. After all, on his world it was a common occurrence for a woman to ask a man for the right of bonding. They live together, do everything together, hold hands, hug, they practically were married according to seven star system and twelve individual planets. Well, except for hers. And his if he really thought about it. He stilled as realisation hit.

"Oh you stupid old man," He murmured leaning heavily against the door, rolling his eyes at himself. Rassilon he was thick. Rose was human, not by any fault of hers of course, but he should have realised that she'd wanted, _needed. _Something more than just his word that he wanted her with him for as long as she could stay, that he wouldn't abandon her, something to prove she was different to all the others. And she was indeed. He'd never become as close to a companion as he had to her. There was just something about her that drew him in, kept calling him back to her. Even now he'd almost crossed the entire distance to her without even realising.

"Rose?" He murmured gently, crouching down in front of her.

She pushed the blonde locks concealing her face behind her ears, turning her head only slightly. She didn't have to look at him for him to notice the bloodshot state of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," He whispered resting a hand on hers as it fisted in her shirt.

"Are you gonna make me leave?" She whimpered.

"What?" His eyebrows shot into his hairline, "Of course not."

"I just thought-" She sniffed.

"Why would you think I'd want you to leave?" He murmured, sadness creasing his brow.

"Cause I ruined everythin-" She hid her face in her palm, turning back into the yielding cushions of the old leather chair.

"You haven't- you didn't-" He began then frowned at the ceiling, "Oh I'm rubbish at this."

She appeared worn and the pain behind her eyes disturbed him more than their current colour did, clearly he just wasn't cut out for this, he needed to do something to make her smile again, the brilliant and happy little pink and yellow girl he would gladly give anything for. With his mind set, he stood abruptly and reached out his hand to her.

"Come with me?" He asked softly.

"Where we goin?" She sniffed hesitating to reaching out. He hated that he'd caused her to second guess him to the point of not wanting to touch him.

"I want to show you something." His eyes pleaded for her trust. "Please?"

"Kay." She let him pull her from the chair and followed as he led her across the library and out into the hall. They walked in silence save for the sobering sound of Rose's hiccups as her breathing tried to return to normal, each one making him wince. They stopped in front of two large engraved metal doors with a swirling emblem etched across their surface. He placed his hand gingerly on the door and with a long intake of breath and a whispered alien word he applied the slightest pressure to them and they opened slowly and silently.

Rose gasped at the size and majesty of the room that lay before them. It was like a cathedral almost twice the size of the console room with massive glowing glass windows, arches and arcatraves adorned the domed ceiling, the ages old stonework glittering with golden flecks.

"Where are we?" Rose mumbled.

"You've been here before." He replied softly, his eyes closed and head tilted as if listening to something in the distance. "This is the Cloister Room."

"I've never-" She murmured watching him closely, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Oh but you have," He breathed, "Listen, can you hear it?"

She closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds around her, listening for whatever it was that he could hear. And then she felt it begin, softly at first and then as a resounding melody that echoed through her heart and mind.

"Oh," She staggered slightly held to reality by his hand in hers as the song swelled around and through her, "Is that the TARDIS?"

"Yup," He giggled, "Isn't she beautiful? This is her heart."

She opened her eyes and swayed again, her vision doubling before his hand gripped her tighter and clarity returned.

"I can't focus," Rose groaned as the room swam, it wasn't unpleasant but she thought she'd probably enjoy whatever it was a little better if she didn't feel like she would float away if he let her go.

"It's called Huon Resonance." She heard him say from beside her, "Both you and the TARDIS are reacting with each other, it won't hurt you. It's sort of like she's the melody and you're following along with a harmony of your own. My brilliant girls singing to the universe." He giggled again.

"How?" She breathed gripping onto the lapels of his suit jacket focusing on his face.

"A remnant from the time you swallowed the vortex," He explained, "Well maybe more like an echo, a memory? But still- brilliant isn't it."

"Yea," She smiled, delighting in the joy that exuded from him, could feel coming off him in waves.

"That tickles," She laughed.

"What does?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"You I think," She replied, "You're happy, and I can feel it, or she can?"

"Oh? Oh of course you can," He nodded happily, "I share a telepathic link with the TARDIS, the resonance is passing it through you, which means if I drop a few shields here and there, I should be able to-"

"Heh," He was positively giddy, "I can feel you too."

She beamed at him and his responding emotion made laughter bubble up through her.

"Stop it," She laughed nudging him with her shoulder, he just laughed along with her as he pulled her against him, dancing and spinning them around the floor for what seemed like ages. She looked up at his face as he stopped to appraise the ceiling in wonder, all happy and bright and so very him and she was sure in that moment she fell for him even more.

His eyes flashed to hers and she wondered if he'd felt her think it.

"I want to give you something," He murmured, the hand not in hers coming out of his pocket to still in the air between them. She frowned in confusion.

"I need your permission first." He clarified moving his fingers towards her temple.

"Okay," She nodded, smiling brightly at him as his fingers gently pressed against her skin.

"No one will know it's there once it's done," He explained to her, "And no one will be able to exploit it."

"Wha?" Her brow creased in confusion.

"Time Lords are telepathic Rose," He continued softly glancing away from her, "I want to give you a little part of me, for you to keep, up here." He tapped his fingers against her temple softly.

"Doctor?" She gave him a curious look.

"It won't hurt I promise," He whispered stepping closer to her, "But it makes us- well, you and me, it, it makes us- us. Sort of a bit more you know – permanent?"

"Permanent?" She repeated.

"Permanent." He agreed with a nod.

"Okay," She shot him a look of confusion as he pulled his tie over his head and wrapped it around their entwined hand, securing it under his thumb.

"Now," He closed his eyes and she follow suite. "Repeat after me, I consent and gladly give."

"I consent and gladly give." She replied softly, her heart whispering _all of myself, I am yours, always__._

He reached out to her mind and entwined the tiniest sliver of himself with her, dancing and singing along with the TARDIS song in her mind. She sagged against him and he pulled her up into his arms as he opened his eyes and gazed down into her blissfully sleeping face. He may have also nudged her into a proper sleep cycle while he was in her mind.

"You know what old girl?" He asked the ship as he carried Rose from the Cloister Room and along the corridor to hers. "I think we should keep this one."

He laughed as her affirmative hum bubbled through him along with an image of his room and a question.

"Oh, might um, hmmmm. Might let her decide that for herself eh'," He blushed placing her gently down on her bed and tucking the blankets around her. "We'll deal with that after, first let see if she works out exactly what I've given her."

"Sweet dreams Rose," He grinned as he pulled her door closed, whistling along the corridor as he returned to the console room and settled himself under the grating.

"Right," He spoke to the TARDIS, "How's about that three hundred year service eh?"

She shook happily as he pulled himself further under the console and set to work, the gentle sounds of humming and the sonic echoing through the room.

* * *

**_Author's Note:  
_**

**_Aww much love to my reviewers. Now this chapter in particular helps me justify why they were both so happy in The idiots Lantern, despite the previous adventure and the reason for the Doctor's stuttering when they find Rose without a face._**

**_Detective Inspector Bishop - "Do you know her?" _**

**_Doctor - "Know her? She-"_**

**_You all know the rest. Obviously as you may have realised, he's bound them together, not completely of course, I'm still under the impression that he'd have to tell her his name first and other things, quite right too, but that's a completely different story that shant be posted under this rating. But you all realised that so on we go. This chapter also explains the eventual means of calling to Rose in Doomsday, and the use of the psychic paper when they're captured by Torchwood. For the most part it explains itself. Anything you think I've missed or you'd like to see become apart of this little romp, or a little something extra just let me know. _  
_-T85_**


	3. The Idiot's Lantern

**The Idiot's Lantern**

With a relieved sigh Rose flung the now offensive pair of hot pink pumps into the corner of her room and wriggled her toes happily against the soft carpet, one denim jacket and a poodle skirt later she stood in front of her bathroom mirror making sure her face was in fact back exactly the way it had been when they'd left the TARDIS that morning. She nodded in satisfaction as she dumped her earrings into the box on the counter and after relieving herself of her remaining attire she stepped under a hot steaming spray of glorious water, groaning in appreciation for both the endless supply and ridiculous amount of massaging jets the ship provided. She felt a thrum against her hand as she caressed the wall in gratitude.

A feeling of warmth trickled through her mind and she looked up curiously at the wall behind her hand.

"I'm sorry," She frowned, "I don't understand-"

She felt the TARDIS gently nudge at the back of her head and she swayed slightly as the ship settled more fully against her mind, the song momentarily disorienting her as it had in the Cloister's. She brought her hands up to brace herself against the wall.

"Not so fast yea." She breathed deeply as the shower cubicle swam back into focus, the ships song softening to the background as she flashed an image from Rose's memory of the Doctor saying something. She closed her eyes and focused on it, there was no sound but she could clearly make out what he was saying.

"Oh," She breathed with a fond smile, "Um, you're welcome?"

The ship hummed and the lights brightened. Under any other circumstances Rose might have found it intrusive to be having a discussion with a sentient ship while in the shower, but from what she knew of the TARDIS she was definitely a woman and therefore the circumstances not quite as odd as one might think. The sentient ship part notwithstanding of course.

"How come you've never spoken to me before?" Rose lathered shampoo liberally into her hair. The ship flashed another image of the Doctor shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay then," She snorted, "As much as I don't mind seein' him, do you think we could find a better way to do this? Besides you know how he can ramble, lip readin' and stuff might become a bit of a problem, well maybe more of a distraction-" She trailed off.

She felt the TARDIS agree and her presence faded for a few moments. Rose rinsed and repeated as she waited. When she fluttered once more against her mind she sent Rose an image of herself leaning against the wall a few minutes ago. She wasn't sure if it was to connect them or just so she was braced against the wall, the latter applying as her head spun and her knees almost buckled.

"What was that?" Rose breathed popping her ears to ease the pressure. Colours and feelings flashed across Rose's mind, and to her amazement she actually understood it all as if the ship had actually verbally spoken to her.

"Hold on," Rose started, "You did what?"

Her lips quirked at the ships equivalent of an eye roll and sigh as she repeated the sequence.

"Oh of course," She gaped in exasperation, "Because it's perfectly normal to download stuff from his head to mine."

The ship reminded her patiently that she'd asked for a solution and she'd gotten one despite how alien to her it seemed, and she didn't appreciate the vulgar term of download.

"Yea but how is that even possible." Rose's brow creased in confusion until the TARDIS reminded her of their trip to the cloister room, the night they'd sung together in her mind almost as one.

"So you used the part of him in my head to act as a –a what? A receiver? Or, oh a conduit!" She exclaimed "Is the understandin' part because he's in my head? Like a massive reference book or something?" She asked the TARDIS curiously, purely based on the word conduit never previously being part of her vocabulary.

The TARDIS hummed proudly in affirmation and Rose beamed remembering their conversation in the Cloister Room. She'd surmised as she'd woken up in her bed the next morning, relatively speaking anyway, that she must have passed out from exhaustion and forgotten what had happened after he'd touched the side of her face.

"It's like some of the stuff he knows is syphoning off to me," She mused unbelievably, "And to think all I'd meant to do was thank you for bein' brilliant. What else can I do?" Rose pressed the ship for information but received nothing more than a recommendation to direct that particular question to the Doctor himself.

"Was worth a try." Rose smiled, continuing to lather her body, stopping mid-soap as an errant thought caught her attention.

"Does he know?" She raised an eyebrow at the ceiling as the ships response sounded almost like a giggle.

"Oh you cheeky thing." Rose smirked shutting off the water and wrapping a fluffy pink towel around herself. "Bet he'd be furious."

Rose cackled loudly as the ship conveyed to her that he could 'sod off' for all she cared. Rose stilled the towel drying her hair as another thing occurred to her.

"Hey, does this mean I can fly you?" Rose caught her tongue mischievously in her teeth. "He'd hate that even more, 'specially if I was betta at it." She snorted and the ship hummed in amusement.

Turned out this wasn't the case, but she'd still be able to help him with some aspects of navigation, thusly alleviating some of the need to use his unrivalled malleting skills against her console.

Rose agreed as she removed a still damp tress of hair from her shoulder, reaching for another towel to dry the offending mop on her head when a rush of warm air erupted from a vent overhead, the ship effectively blow-drying both her hair and the rest of her body in less than two minutes.

"Now that was impressive." Rose patted the wall affectionately as she donned her pink jimjams complete with little dancing bananas printed across the fabric of the singlet and matching shorts. Rose shook her head indulgently.

"_No wardrobe is complete without something with at least one banana on it, Rose."_ He'd been adamant about it and really it was silly, but who was she to argue. With a quick brush of her hair she slipped her feet into the soft fluffy embrace of her favourite pink bunny slippers and set off in search of her banana obsessed alien, a hot cuppa and maybe one of those Jaffa Cakes he thinks he hides so well.

XXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXX

Rose finally found said alien in the library, glasses perched precariously on the end of his nose and sonic in hand. He sat on the sofa with his feet propped up on the coffee table deeply engrossed in sonicing the video cassette that contained the 'wire'. She grinned as she noticed that beside his feet sat two steaming mugs of tea and a plate of Jaffa Cakes.

"You been readin' my mind Doctor?" She ditched her slippers as she plonked down onto the opposite end of the chair and stretched her sore legs across the cushion, her feet coming to rest gently against the side of his leg.

"Hmmm?" He murmured absently, his tongue pressed to the back of his teeth in concentration.

"Jaffa Cakes," She replied by way of an explanation, taking her tea from the table and sipping it appreciatively.

"I had a craving." He supplied still focusing intently on his project.

"Me too," She grinned around her mouthful as he looked across at her with a quirk of his lip. She swallowed around the lump that formed in her throat at the sight of him and the inappropriate stream of thoughts that accompanied it. She really loved those glasses.

"What was that?" He narrowed his gaze curiously at her.

"What?" She shrugged feigning ignorance and taking another sip of tea to soothe the dryness in her throat.

"That look," He raised an eyebrow.

"What look?" She hid behind her mug.

"That look just then, you just-" He paused with a squint, waving a hand around in front of his face, "Zoned out or something-"

"I can talk to the TARDIS," She blurted out, effectively ending his questioning as his mouth snapped shut and he regarded her with an expression she couldn't quite define.

"Oh?" His lip quirked slightly but his face remained neutral, "That's- that's um, good?"

"Yea it is," She agreed with a small smile picking up on the apprehension in his voice.

"Good." He nodded with a cough turning his attention back to the tape in his hand.

"How?" She asked after a few moments, watching as his hands stilled, his mind practically racing.

"Um, well," He scratched at the back of his head with the sonic as he regarded the ceiling with a squint. A memory from their most recent adventure popping unbidden to the forefront of his mind.

"_Do you know her?" Bishop queried._

"_Know her?" He faltered, "She-" She's Rose, My Rose, my Wife, mine he thought possessively, vaguely aware of the other man speaking as he stared at the blank canvas that was once her beautiful human face._

"_They did what?" He frowned._

"_I'm sorry?" Bishop looked up from his file._

"_Left her where?"_

"_Just, in the street."Bishop replied with a shrug._

"_In the street?" He raised his brow incredulously, the fury of a Time Lord building behind his eyes._

"_They left her in the street. They took her face and just chucked her out and left her in the street." He grit out._

"_And as a result that makes things," Personal he thinks, "Simple, very, very simple."_

"_Do you know why?" He turned and glared furiously at the Detective._

"_No." Bishop shook his head in confusion._

"_Because now, Detective Inspector Bishop, there is no power on this Earth that can stop me." He charged around Rose's unresponsive shell to the door. _

"_Come on!"_

The sound of Rose spluttering and coughing brought him out of his musings, eyes snapping to her face.

"You alright?" He laid the hand with the sonic against her foot, concern burning in his eyes.

"Not real good at multi-taskin'," She lied catching her breath, "Apparently I can't eat an' breathe at the same time."

"Hmmm," He frowned watching as she glanced at him in reassurance over her mug. He was sure that her new-found ability to speak with his ship signalled the awakening of something in her mind and he raised a suspicious glance at the ceiling knowing full well who could have possibly triggered it. Said time ship remaining again uncharacteristically quiet inside his head as he turned back to the task at hand.

"Still didn't answer me." She nudged him gently with her foot. Her mind however was buzzing with the revelation his trip down memory lane had supplied her with. She was the Doctor's Wife? Rose and the Doctor, married, she was married to an alien, the Doctor specifically, whom she loved more than anything in the entire universe and oh, _Ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod!_ Her poor mind couldn't process much more than that. A few moments later she registered the sound of his voice again.

"Sorry what?" She shook herself and stared dumbly at him.

He smirked at the flicker of realisation that crossed her brown eyes and the bright crimson blush that accompanied it. He was almost positive now that his thoughts, or at least a part of them, had filtered through to her.

"I said," He repeated indulgently, "That perhaps it's because of the echoing-"

"Liar," She snorted then quickly covered her mouth in shock. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Uhuh," He confirmed eyebrow quirking in amusement.

"Sorry," She mumbled unable to look away, caught up in his gaze like a deer in a headlight.

"Never be sorry to speak the truth Rose Tyler." His lip turned up in a hint of a smile before he flipped the cassette in his hand and inserted it into a slot in the cabinet beside the sofa, the T.V flickering on as he began taping an episode of 'By the Light of the Asteroid' over it. Rose remained silent for what seemed like forever but her curiosity he knew was getting the better of her.

"You- you made us...permanent." She began cautiously remembering his choice of words in the Cloister's despite his earlier admission.

"I did," He nodded in agreement, "Problem?" He glanced over at her curiously as he slipped the sonic back into his pocket, the back of his cool hand grazing across the soul of her foot.

"No," She replied quickly, her breath quickening with the sudden rush of blood throbbing in her ears.

"Good," He nodded casually, reaching down for his mug and the old book that sat underneath. He flipped it open on his lap as he took a long swill of tea.

"How permanent?" She asked suddenly as if she had only just caught up with the conversation.

"How um-" He sounded a little breathless, his mug stilling in mid air, "Sort of I'd say pretty- weeeell mostly, um," He swallowed past the lump in his throat with a sniff, 'Officially."

"So you an' me are-" She began pointing between them. "I'm y-your-"

"Yes." He agreed with a slightly desperate flickering in his eyes, "According to my-"

"Yea," She quirked her lips slightly, "Sort of guessed that already."

"Oh, good," He released a long breath with a nod of his head, "And- And you don't mind-"

"Already said I was yours," She murmured quietly knowing nothing was out of range of his superior hearing.

"As did I," He reminded her softly and she giggled looking down at the mug in her hands.

They sat together in companionable silence, the Doctor returning his attention to the book in his lap and Rose to her tea. Suddenly making her mind up Rose turned abruptly on the couch, her feet resting on it's arm and her head pushing up under the Doctor's arm so she was using his lap as a pillow.

"I knew you'd find me." She told him as she tried to make herself comfortable.

"Find you? Oh today?" He stilled her fingers as she poked a particularly ticklish part of his leg,

"What are you doing?" He laughed.

"Gettin' comfy." She stared up at him as if he were daft. "An' yea, knew you were comin' to get me."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow at her smug expression.

"Yup," She replied. "Knew it as soon as ya stuck ya head out the TARDIS this mornin' too. It was the poodle skirt that did it."

He laughed then, a real honest to goodness belly laugh that had her giggling along with him.

"Who could resist the poodle skirt?" He agreed emphatically slipping his book down beside his other leg.

"Admit it," She grinned, tongue caught in her teeth, "You're just a sucker for a pretty girl in pink heels."

"A sucker eh? Takes one to know one," He raised an eyebrow in challenge, "Brown pinstripes and glasses."

She gaped at him for a moment then shrugged, refusing to let him get the upper hand despite her blush. She wondered how far he'd go, how far she could push him in light of their new 'permanent' relationship status.

"What can I say?" She teased throwing caution to the wind, "Cassandra was right."

"Oh I know," He agreed waggling his eyebrows, "I saw it in her mind, not very subtle that one."

"You wha?" She gaped at him again. "You mean you-"

The shrill ring of Rose's phone interrupted their banter and the Doctor gazed down at her curiously, eyes widening in surprise when she pulled said phone from somewhere in her singlet. He wondered briefly if the TARDIS had altered her clothing to incorporate trans-dimensional pockets into the lining, it was the only thing he could do to not think about how else she were keeping the phone in place. His eyes finally moved up her chest to her face and he rolled his eyes as she smirked.

"Ello'." She answered, "Yea not much Mum how bout you?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes again and Rose swatted him in the arm lightly. Trust Jackie Tyler to interrupt one of the most important moments in their shared history for the sake of a chat. He could almost make out the boring dribble the woman was nattering on about.

"Yea he's here," Rose went on awkwardly, "Um I dunno, under the console doin somethin-or-other."

He raised an eyebrow at that, understanding her immediate glare to mean he'd cop it if he didn't keep his mouth shut. He smirked at the thought of how their little back and forth might have ended up if the Devil-Woman-Tyler hadn't phoned up. He was almost giddy over the fact that Rose had worked out what he'd done, accepted it, then upon discovering that he was in fact hers, proceeded to flirt unashamedly with him.

"Yea boys an' their toys." He heard Rose agree, shooting him a bemused expression.

"Hardly," He scoffed; especially considering his would-be-new 'toy' had her head currently laid across his lap. He was a little astounded at how quickly his thoughts had turned to less appropriate things. He wondered briefly just how many of those things he'd seen in Cassandra's mind Rose'd be willing to actually take him up on.

"Oh really," Rose obliged, "What's his name then?"

With that comment the Doctor nudged her off his lap and stood, hooking his finger in the handle of her empty mug and his own. He had no intention of sitting around listening to Jackie blubber on about her new boyfriend. He turned when something caught his trouser leg and shot her a questioning glance as she cupped the phone against her chest.

"Don't go-" She almost begged him. He frowned in confusion until he recognised the hurt flash across her eyes. Did she really think he was going to just walk away and forget any of this ever happened? Rassilon he'd have to make it up to her, for all the times he'd been a git and done just that.

"Well you've run out of tea and so have I?" He reminded her, flashing the empty mugs.

"Oh," She smiled a little, "So you're comin' back?"

"Yes," He smiled shaking his head indulgently as if it should have been obvious.

"Kay." She giggled suddenly remembering her mother was on the phone.

"Sorry," She gushed into the phone, "What were you sayin' about Elton was it?"

The Doctor left her to it and wandered down the corridor happily towards the kitchen, for the first time in his very long life feeling quite content in the here and now. It didn't matter if Rose left him now or in a hundred years time it certainly wouldn't hurt any less either way, but he wouldn't have to live with the regret of knowing what they could've had because he'd already given it to her, thrown caution to the wind along with nine-hundred years of Time Lord rules and prejudice and bound them together. Rose was his, and they were together, or rather they would be once he'd finished making tea and legged it back down the corridor.

He mentally congratulated himself on not spilling a drop on his way back but when he stepped around the couch to hand her a mug he stilled to observe the sight before him. He placed their cups down on the table and smiled at his ridiculous pink and yellow human as she lay sprawled across the sofa, snoring lightly and drooling a little on his book as she used it as a make-shift pillow. He heard noises coming from the floor and picked up Rose's phone to find Jackie still raving on about this and that on the other end.

"Hello Jackie?" He asked.

"_Doctor?" _The devil-woman questioned. _"Where's Rose?"_

"Oh she's fine, just drifted off by the looks of it," He told her.

"_Oh Bless," _She cooed, _"Well you tell her to give me a call later yea, take care Doctor, See ya later."_

"I will," He replied brushing lock of hair from her sleeping face with a smile, "Bye."

For the second time in as many weeks he pulled her into his arms and carried her down the hall. This time however, he pushed open the door across from hers with his shoulder and tucked her in the deep crimson duvet of his hardly-ever-used bed in his very large hardly-ever-used but messy room. He wondered if he could possibly add a few more hardly-ever-used things to that list to rectify in the near future.

"Goodnight Rose." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and headed for the door. Tomorrow she'd wake up in here and when she finally emerged in the console room after her morning cuppa and shower he'd take her somewhere brilliant and they'd save the day.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Again this chapter speaks for itself and serves to develop into the next adventure.  
**_

_**Reviews = love! And I do love your input.  
**_

_**xxoo  
**_


	4. The Impossible Planet The Satan Pit

_**Attention Ladies and Gents - Rating goes up for the IMPLICATIONS of this chapter.**_

_**If you're good I'll post the missing peices up separately... 3**_

* * *

The Impossible Planet - The Satan Pit

"Zach? We'll be off, now. Have a good trip home." The Doctor spoke up at the rotor as Rose stood by his side at the consol.

"And the next time you get curious about something- oh... what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race..."

"But Doctor," Ida queried before they departed. "What did you find down there? That creature - what was it?"

"I don't know," The Doctor busied himself with the console, "Never did decipher that writing. But that's good! Day I know everything? Might as well stop."

"What do you think it was?" Rose asked softly, "Really?"

"I think..." He replied cautiously, "We beat it. That's good enough for me."

"It said I was gonna die in battle." She couldn't help the small whimper in her voice.

"Then it lied." His tone spoke of finality and she smiled at his assurance.

"Right," He began flicking switches once more, "Onwards, upwards - Ida - see you again, maybe!"

"I hope so." Ida replied with a smile.

"And thanks, boys!" Rose shouted, if she'd been on the rocket she would have laughed at their ridiculous grins.

"Hang on though, Doctor." Ida stopped them, "You never really said... you two... who are you?"

"Oh..." He looked down at Rose beaming up at him and grinned, "The stuff of legend."

The Doctor pulled a lever and sent them spinning into the vortex, gently patting the organics on the console as he pulled away.

"Well I don't know about you but I could do with a shower and a real cuppa," The Doctor remarked as he started down the gangway.

"Yea," Rose laughed sticking close to his side as they carried on along the corridor, "Goes double for me."

"You sure," He smirked budging his door open with a shoulder, "I could whip you up some Protein One or-"

"Shut up," She rolled her eyes with a laugh, sobering slightly as she spotted her banana print pyjamas sprawled haphazardly across the foot of his bed.

"What's wrong?" He chuckled.

"Um," She bit her bottom lip as she pointed past him. "Forgot to clean up my mess, been lookin' for em' ya know."

"Huh?" He frowned casting a glance in the direction she indicated and the bright pink patch in stark contrast to his duvet. "Oh, right, of course."

"Yea." She giggled ducking past him to grab her clothes, surprising him slightly by slipping through his bathroom door and closing it behind her. He stood in stunned silence for a brief moment before she poked her head back out.

"Oh and just so we're clear yea," She told him seriously, "If you think there is a chance in 'ell I'm leavin' your side for at least the next twenty-four hours after the day I've had you can think again."

He nodded mutely in agreement, "You could stay-" He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, "In here I mean- with me- if you want-"

"Yes." She replied quickly studying the floor by his feet intently.

"Good," He nodded again, "We could watch something-" He gestured to the large panel on the wall opposite the bed.

"Deathly Hallows?" She raised her eyebrows in anticipation.

"Knew you were hooked." He smirked.

"Your fault," She grinned, "You makin' popcorn?"

"Oh the things I do for you," He tutted slipping out of his jacket and loosening his tie.

"Yay." She squealed disappearing back into his ensuite, the sound of running water following shortly after. He shook his head with a laugh as he slipped through into the other bathroom on the far side of the room when it appeared.

XXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXX

When Rose finally stepped out the bathroom clean and somewhat refreshed an unknown length of time later, to her at least, the Doctor was propped up against the headboard in a set of pinstriped pyjamas, his glasses perched once again on the end of his nose, tea in one hand, an exceptionally large bowl of popcorn on his lap and the same book she had seen him reading in the library a few weeks ago in the other.

"You gonna stand there all night?" He raised an eyebrow but didn't look up.

"No such thing on the TARDIS," She smirked launching herself onto the bed beside him, almost spilling his tea and knocking his glasses askew.

"Oi," He quipped resting his mug on the table beside him and mock scowling at her as she mirrored his position, "The cheek."

She swiped his glasses and slipped them up her nose looking around the room.

"You don't even need these do ya?" She laughed resting back a little more into his side and the fluffy warmth of pillows before she grinned up at him, "Bet you only wear em' cause you think they make you look a little bit clever."

"Rose Tyler," He admonished retrieving his stolen belongings from her face, "That is preposterous, as if I need these to prove just how brilliant I am."

"Hah," She cackled harder at his indignant response, "You so do."

"Alright," He drawled with an exaggerated eye roll as he handed her a mug and exchanged his book for the sonic, "Shut up and drink your tea before it goes cold."

"Yes Doctor," She snorted taking a sip and craning her neck around to see what was on the cover of his book, "What you readin' anyways?"

"Oh nothing much," He murmured absently into his tea as he flicked the sonic at the wall opposite them.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, "And what's that like, alien Mills an' Boon or sumfin'?"

"Mills an-" His eyes widened in realisation and he chuckled, "No it most certainly is not, not that I haven't read, and mind you ultimately it's all garbage but-"

"Oh, no wonder Mum likes this you." She teased.

"Oi," He chastised again, "Any more of that'll get you a one way ticket back across the hall Miss."

"You can try," She challenged, "Already told ya though, not shiftin' for anythin'."

"Yes, well." He muttered returning his attention to the opening credits of the movie as she settled into his side.

The end of the first part of the movie saw the Doctor make a second trip to the kitchen for more popcorn, a block of chocolate, a pot of tea and a banana.

"They thought you were dead," She admitted suddenly but quietly as he resumed his position beside her, "But I knew, I-you just couldn't, I thought if you were then I'd know, I'd- they-they had to knock me out to get me on that rocket."

"They what?" He frowned as she accepted a row of chocolate as he turned back to peel his banana.

"Well," She worried the soft material of the duvet between her fingers, nibbling the edge of the treat, "There might have been the tiniest bit of kickin' and screamin'."

The Doctor stilled his motions as a scene replayed in his mind.

"_No, I'm gonna wait for the Doctor. Just like he waited for me." _

"_I'm sorry, but... he's dead." _

"_You don't know him. 'Cos he's not...I'm telling you, he's- he's not... and even if he was, how could I leave him? All on his own, all the way down there? No. I'm gonna stay." _

"_No - no! No! No! No! Let me go! Get off me! I'm not leaving!" _

"Oh Rose," The sound of his voice made her eyes snap open and tears poured down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," He whispered pulling her against his chest, "I'm so sorry I scared you like that."

"What would I have done without-"

"Shhh now," He pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. "I'm here."

She clung to him, pressing ever closer until she could feel and hear both his hearts beating through her, warming her as they pumped life through his veins. He was alive, they were together and for now, they were safe. She refused to loosen her grip on his middle, breathing in his scent until her whole being felt as if it sung of time. His glasses and found the nightstand and he shifted down the bed, laying back as he pulled her up his chest until she was tucked into his neck, her breath gently ghosting his throat.

"Doctor, I Lo-" She swallow thickly.

"I know." He breathed as he held her tighter. "Of course I know, and you, you know that I-"

"Yea," She held him closer, something he was sure in their current position to be almost impossible. "I don't wanna even imagine a universe without you in it." She whispered as the TARDIS dimmed the lights to almost darkness. A quick flick of the sonic and the screen shut down sending them into almost complete darkness.

"Nor do I." He assured, just making out her features as she lifted her head, long fingers gently tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "You keep saying that the universe needs me Rose, but what it really needs is you, because without you I'd-"

"No," She whispered, grazing his sideburn as she thread her fingers tightly into his hair holding his forehead to hers. "You can't think like that yea, you have to keep goin', you promise me you'll fight, stand up for those who can't defend themselves and you better be bloody brilliant at it too you hear me?"

"Rose-"

She pressed her lips to his quickly to silence him. "I believe in you Doctor, and I will always be with you no matter what." She whispered sliding her hand back to his chest, her small hand spread across both his hearts, "Right here, forever. Never forget that."

"Never." He whispered taking her cheek in his hands as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, then her closed eyes, her other cheek, tasting the salt of her tears intermingled with a hint of her soap.

"Doctor," She breathed, eyes slipping closed as he trailed small kisses along her jaw, his tongue snaking out to press lightly against the pulse of her throat as her small hands slid their way in between the buttons of his shirt. He gasped at the sensation stilling her hand on his chest.

"I'm sorry-" She began pulling away from him.

"No it's fine," He sighed pulling her back against him, "You're just a lot warmer than I expected-"

"Did I hurt you-" She tried to pull away again.

"No, no," He hastened to assure her, "Quite the opposite in fact."

"Oh." He saw her eyes widen in surprise despite the dark.

"Yes oh," He murmured nuzzling back into her neck, "There are certain things that a telepathic bond heighten, especially the one we share."

"Hmmm." She mumbled in acknowledgement. "An wha's that?"

"The nerve endings in this body are very sensitive, especially to you." He breathed, her head falling back so he could continue his exploration of her collar bones. "It always has been, why else do you think I wear so many layers?"

"Jus thought cause you were colder than me," She sighed as his hand trailed down her spine and cool fingers slipped under the back of her singlet, feather light circles and characters caressing her now tingling flesh.

"No," He nuzzled her throat, "You distract me Rose, a thousand year old alien but putty in the hands of a twenty year old human woman with an uncanny penchant for the colour pink. If I didn't wear so many layers I'd never get anything done, not at the rate we end up in each other's arms."

"Don't hear ya complainin' now." She quipped slipping free the buttons on his shirt.

"You're so very close, all soft and warm, how could I resist." He groaned into her skin as her finger nails trailed down his chest.

"Done a pretty good job at it for over two years now." She muttered absently.

"Technically," He pulled back slightly, pausing for effect, "You know you're- um well you know-"

"Your wife?" Rose breathed already knowing where he was going with this.

"Oh but you are so much more than that Rose, you're everything," He whispered against her hair, "I can feel you in my mind, the one place that up until a few weeks ago was deathly quiet, and right now your mind and your body, oh they are just screaming out to me, I can't help reacting to you, your touch alone sets my skin on fire."

"You- you want me?" She shuddered as he trailed a long finger down her arm.

"A Time Lord cannot deny a bond mate and in light of your close proximity and somewhat...shall we say- aroused state? The barriers in my mind are rendered virtually ineffectual; my body's reacting to you, sending my pheromones into hyper drive."

"Ba-barriers? Pheromones?" She muttered indistinctly as his hand slipped down to pull her thigh across his hip.

"I'm alien Rose." He breathed against her clavicle. "How else do you think I can keep nine hundred years of time and space up in this noggin without going barmy?"

"Oh you're definitely barmy," She gasped as his hand moved from her back to skim lightly across her ribs to rest over her heart, "Jus a mad man in a blue box you are."

"Cheeky," He muttered licking a line back up her throat, drawing her face back to him with a nuzzle.

"We couldn't have been together before now Rose," He told her quietly, "I bound us together, but you had to work it out on your own, then it was up to you, I would never force you into anything, but for me, this is-we're-I can never be with anyone else, even when you-"

"I'll always be with you." She cupped his face with her free hand, running her thumb gently across his cheek bones, her breath hitching at his close proximity and the darkening of his eyes.

"Oh you feel and smell magnificent, so many more senses Rose, all centred on you, I can feel your body without even touching it, it expands and swells, burning for me, your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing all of it sings to me bending to my will and mine alone."

"Yours-" She groaned, grinding her hips into him as his words heated her.

"Yes, mine," He growled, "No-one else will ever touch you, never again, you'll be mine and mine alone." He grit out returning the gesture, delighting in her wanton whimper as his clever fingers found the sonic on the bedside table and made short work of her pyjamas, their remnant falling from her in tatters.

"I thought you liked those ones?" She smirked against his cheek.

"Get you more." He muttered from the flesh of her shoulder making her whimpered. In retaliation she slid herself over him straddling his hips, pushing the inconvenient fabric of his shirt off his shoulders as he sat up to pull her against him.

"Oh look at you in all your pink and yellowness, you're glorious," He groaned as she pressed herself into his hips, his hands sliding up the bare expanse of her back to the nape of her neck as his lips trailed wet kisses down her sternum.

"Doctor-" She snapped, gripping his hair and roughly pulling his head back, watching as his pupils dilated further, a swarm of brown and black and starlight visible despite the darkness of the room. He seemed to quite like that, she mused, a smirk making its way across her features as she leant in to whisper against his lips. "You still haven't kissed me yet."


	5. Love & Monsters

**Love and Monsters**

"He upset my mum." Rose sat on the jump seat with her feet against the console staring incredulously at the phone in her hand.

"Who did?" The Doctor ducked his head around the time rotor.

"Elton." She replied, still glaring at the offending item.

"Who's that then?" He frowned not following.

"This young bloke she met, I forget where she said, but he'd come round a few times and done some odd jobs for her yea, she'd thought they'd hit it off-"

"I really don't wanna hear about your Mum's new boyfriend." He shuddered. "Besides, isn't she old enough to sort things out on her own?"

"Oi," She narrowed her eyes at him, "Nobody upsets my Mum."

"Dunno about that," He mused as he released the handbrake with a flourish, "Look at my track record-"

"She said he was asking about us." She chewed her bottom lip in concern.

"He what?" The Doctor looked up from the monitor. "What sorts of things?"

"Where we are, what we do," She paused, "When we're gonna be home next."

"She didn't tell him anything did she?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"O'course not." Rose rolled her eyes.

"Then what's the problem?" He shrugged returning his attention to the screen.

"He upset my Mum." She replied as if it was obvious.

"And like I said," He raised an eyebrow pointedly; "She's a grown woman."

"So some random bloke comes round leadin' my Mum on before he asks about us and you're not at all concerned?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"She's dealt with worse I'm sure." He commented wryly.

Rose regarded him for few moments, then a smirk twinged the corner of her lips.

"I think you should be little more concerned for your mother-in-law's safety Doctor." She crossed her arms.

"What did you just say?" He peaked around the console, his eyebrows lost beyond his hair line.

"Mother-"

"Don't-" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"In-"

"Rose-" He spluttered.

"Law-"

"Right! Earth it is, present day, Powell Estates, shouldn't be too hard to track him down." He darted around flicking switches and pulling levers as Rose sat smugly watching him. She stood as the TARDIS materialised with a slight shudder.

"Off we go then," He pulled on his coat as he strode towards the doors, a determinedly miffed look on his face.

He stepped out into the alley way noting the large greenish-yellow blob looming over what must be said Mother-in-Law offending human. He cringed at the thought, and what's more he got the feeling that Rose had practically threatened to tell her. He slipped his hands into his pockets, levelling his gaze at the man in mild annoyance.

"Someone wants a word with you."

Rose emerged from the TARDIS with an almost murderous expression on her face. He took a quick glance at her ire and even he had to admit he wasn't willing to take on this side of her.

"You upset my Mum." Her accented and high pitched toning belying the true power she wielded. They may call him the Oncoming Storm, the Doctor mused, but she was once Time itself, the universe and all of reality bending to her will, himself included, the last Time Lord and TARDIS in existence both at the mercy of one small pink and yellow human.

"... Great big absorbing creature from outer space, and you're having a go at me?" Elton stuttered in bewilderment.

"No one upsets my mum." She narrowed her eyes and the Doctor smirked as Elton, and to his surprise even the Abzorbaloff visibly flinched at her tone. He couldn't quite help the swell of admiration and pride as he watched her correct the young man that had done wrong by her family, he could see her shoulder's set in preparation for the rampant chastising that was to come and felt a surge of affection as he caught up to her thoughts, she could very well threaten to dump him into the cold embrace of deep space, but her mind never even considered abusing the power at her disposal even though all she need do is ask and both himself and their ship would comply more than willingly. He mused curiously about what his wife's wrath might herald if he didn't intervene, eventually anyways.

"At last. The greatest feast of all. The Doctor." Victor crooned diverting his attention.

"What's this thing? A sort Absorbatrix? Absorba... clon? Absorbaloff?" The Doctor mused coming to stand beside his companion.

"Absorbaloff, yes." Victor gleamed pointing a long grotesque finger at him.

Rose leaned into the Doctor's shoulder, "Is it me or is he a bit... Slitheen?"

"Not from Raxacorricofallapatorius, are you?" The Doctor queried curiosity creasing his brow.

"No! I'm not the swine! I SPITon them!" He did just that much to the Doctor's disgust, "I was born on their twin planet."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "What's the twin planet of Raxacorricofallapatorius?"

"Clom."

"Clom?" The Doctor repeated intrigued.

"Clom." The thing nodded, leering at the blue box behind them "Yes. And I'll return there victorious, whilst I possess your travelling machine."

"Well, that's never gonna happen." The Doctor replied sceptically.

"Oh, it will. You'll surrender yourself to me, Doctor, or this one dies." He gestured to Elton still cowering at his feet, "You see, I've read about you, Doctor. I've studied you. So passionate, so sweet." He crooned and the Doctor fought the urge to roll his eyes, "You wouldn't let an innocent man die. And I'll absorb him - unless you give yourself to me."

He felt her amusement flicker through his mind as Rose glanced up at him, her lips curling slightly.

"Sweet... maybe? Passionate..." Rose glanced up at him in amusement as he scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks beginning to tinge the slightest pink. "I suppose. But don't ever mistake that for nice."

"Do what you want." He slipped his hands back in his pockets and stared at Victor indifferently.

XXXXxxxXXXXxxxXXXX

Hours later they were sitting in the lounge at Jackie's, the Doctor reclining on the sofa with the television blaring while Rose sat on the floor leaning against his legs nursing a hot mug of tea. Jackie was prattling on from the kitchen about finding someone else to fix the plumbing and the possible relationship statistics and their application to a man and his concrete tile of a girlfriend.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Rose asked sipping her tea as she fiddled with the hem of her jeans.

"Who?" The Doctor frowned turning down the TV.

"Elton & Ursula."

"Stranger things have happened," He shrugged sitting forward.

"I know, it's jus-"

"I thought you'd understand more so than anyone else-" He interjected with a frown.

"You're not a piece of pavement are ya." She raised an eyebrow pointedly as she glanced up him.

"No," He agreed with a small nod, "But I am alien, different-"

"I'm not sayin' that them bein' together is a bad thing," She stressed turning slightly to face him properly.

"No I know you're not," He assured her, "But they will be together, for a very long time too if I'm not mistaken."

"Good," She nodded sipping her tea, "That's good. No-one should be alone."

"Who's alone?" Jackie queried appearing from the kitchen with a tray of cakes and sandwiches.

"Nobody." The Doctor supplied snatching a cake. "Well not anymore." He nudged Rose with his foot gently and she smiled behind her mug.


	6. Fear Her

Fear Her

"You weren't just talking about Chloe today were you," Rose wrapped her arm around the Doctors', clinging to his side to keep away the cold as they walked back to the TARDIS, "You know what it feels like cause that's how you-"

"Not all the time," He smiled down at her, "Not now at any rate."

"But it's not enough is it? I'm not like you so-"

He was silent as they saw home over the next hill.

"Can you feel me all the time?" She asked hesitantly, "My thoughts and stuff-"

"I can't read your mind Rose, unless you want me to," He raised an eyebrow. "Surface emotions are different, humans project loud enough that I don't really need to be in contact to skim them."

"But could ya, I dunno, talk inside my head and stuff, like outta Star Trek an' that, Vulcan mind meld rubbish."

"I am not Vulcan," He protested pulling another cupcake from his pocket along with his key, "You humans have a strange-"

"But could you?" She pressed leaning against the ship."I mean I can feel the TARDIS, and I think I can feel you there, but sometimes I'm not sure if I do or I just imagine-"

"Do you want to?" He asked curiously cutting her off as he slipped his key into the old blue door.

"Might come in handy if we're ever separated." She reasoned with a shrug, pulling the door before following up the ramp.

"I'll always find you Rose," He assured her, flicking a few switches and sending them back into the vortex for the night.

"But what if I need to find you?" She countered softly, the Doctor stilling his movements around the console to look at her.

"Are you really that worried-"

"I thought I'd lost you today, Again." She replied softly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her hair, "I-"

"I'm sorry," He soothed, her head resting against his chest.

"Please?" She begged softly gazing up at him, smiling as with a sigh he nodded and pulled back to take her hand and lead her into the depths of the ship.

"I'm not sure if this will work." He shot her a small smile, stepping through the door to his room. "You're-"

"Not like you-" She added following him into the room.

"No it's nothing like that," He shook his head as he divested himself of his suit jacket and tie and flung them onto a nearby chair as he slipped off his trainers. "But you might experience certain, hmm side effects, I really don't know for sure."

"It's ok," She moved beside him, "I trust you."

"Far too much I think," He raised an eyebrow, "Go wash up, I'll meet you back in here, you'll probably be exhausted afterwards."

"Promises, promises Doctor." She smirked as she disappeared around the bathroom door.

"I've heard no complaints thus far Missy." He quipped back silencing the giggling from the other side of the door.

He opened the closet to find the TARDIS had been redecorating while they'd been away, Rose's belongings now hanging beside his suits and ties, turning to see her personal effects now scattered across his dresser. He had to admit he didn't quite object to the domestic approach. He found his pyjamas and slipped them on, exiting said closet to find the rest of Rose's things around the room. The woman herself just stepping out of the ensuite wrapped in a towel.

"What the-"

"It would appear the TARDIS has taken it upon herself to move you in." He chuckled.

"But-"

"I don't mind," He stopped her, "I was going to ask-"

"Yes." She replied quickly, "Would have been my answer." Blushing as she brushed past him and into the closet.

He couldn't help but smirk at that, he'd thought that after the other night she'd have nothing to blush over. His smirk turned into a smug grin as he reminisced over that night and the musical quality her voice held as she screamed his name. Well, not his real name. Which brought him back to the moment. He had bound them, yes, but not completely. Tonight would be the night that he would tell her his real name. Give himself completely over to her mercy, because for him, giving her his name was giving her the power to destroy him. He flopped down onto the bed, his hands resting behind his head as he thought. At the sound of the closet door he turned as Rose emerged dry and dressed in his second favourite pair of pinstriped pyjamas.

"Those are mine." He whined half-heartedly, grinning as she lifted a pillow and tossed it at his face with a snort of laughter.

"TARDIS put them in my drawers so they're now mine." She grinned back, stepping up onto the bed, dropping to sit cross-legged beside him.

"So," She began, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"So." He repeated pulling her down to lay beside him, her head resting over the double thrum of his heart beats.

"I want to tell you something Rose," He spoke after a time, "Something that means- well everything really, but you have to promise me that you'll never speak it to another living soul. Well, except me maybe."

"Doctor?" She queried, lifting her head so she could see his face as he cupped her cheek, bringing her lips to his before resting their foreheads together as he whispered his name across her lips. For Rose it was if something snapped together in her mind, and then she could see it, all of him before her, nine other men finally blurring out until only one remained. He smiled at her.

_Rose?_

_Yes Doctor?_

_I want to show you something._

She felt herself being pulled along, a strange sensation to experience while also feeling yourself lying still. When the movement finally stopped she felt as though they were standing in a cavernous room, hundreds of times larger than the cathedral like qualities of the cloister room. Her thoughts seemed to echo slightly.

_Are you ready?_ The Doctor's voice seemed to resonate all around her even with the distinct feeling that he was right beside her, even if she couldn't see it in the darkness of the room. Well she supposed it was room. _Not a room. _She heard him chuckle.

_Where are we?_

_My mind._

_Oh, it's um-spacious, if not a little ah – dark –_

_If I'd subjected you to everything I thought about in a single second your brain would implode under the pressure._ He was laughing, she could tell.

_Alright then Mr Impressive, let's have it._

_Firstly, this is me._ She felt a fluttering warmth surround her, similar to the TARDIS but more, him. Silver and shining and so much bigger than she'd ever thought possible.

_Now a little more._

Light enveloped the landscape, the red grass dancing in the breeze as the silver trees shone in the twin sunlight. Then he appeared before her, pinstriped suit and all.

_This is your home._

_Yes._

_It's beautiful._

_I wish I could have shown you properly._

_That don't matter, I'll never forget it. Never._

She watched him nod, a small smile playing on his lips. Suddenly the wind picked up and around them both swirled images and glyphs, circles and cogs and spirals. She should have realised that his mind wouldn't have been in English. As soon as she'd thought that, just as suddenly, it all began making sense, her mind wrapping around the complexity of it, gasping as his name burnt across her vision. She saw it all, over a thousand years of time and space, everything he'd ever experienced or would and she had the key to it.

_I have something else for you too._

_But I don't have anything to give you. It's not fair that give so much and I-_

_You have given me more in the last two years Rose, than I have ever received in all my very long years._

She felt the cool metal touch her skin as he slipped the TARDIS chain back around her neck. Her fingers felt their way down its length to grip the familiar key and beside it a small glittering orange orb. She watched intrigued as it glowed brightly before dimming back to reveal shining white diamonds around its outside.

_It's one of the last things I could save before-_

_Thank you. I'll never take it off._

_I dare say not. Between the two of them they should offer protection, you're not invisible obviously but you won't be noticed as much._

_A perception filter? Like the TARDIS._

_In a manner of speaking. It's our gift to you._

The Doctor pulled out of her mind and she followed until they were lying side by side again, her fingers caressing the chain around her neck as she snuggled into his side with a yawn.

"Sleep time you." The Doctor pulled the covers up over them pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I need my sleep if I'm to challenge the likes of Jacqueline Tyler."

"She's not that bad." She grinned sleepily.

"Nighty-night Rose." He bid her as the TARDIS dimmed her lights off to darkness.

"Hmmm love you." She mumbled into his chest, the Doctor grinning to himself.

"Love you too." It didn't matter that she was asleep when he finally replied. She knew. She'd always known. And he would stop at nothing to keep her with him. The only storm that would approach her would be him.


	7. Doomsday

This can't be how it ends she thinks, it just can't be.

"Take me back! Take me back!" Her hands protesting as she slams her fists into the stark white wall.

"Take me back..." She all but begs through sobbing tears, vaguely aware of the man who is and isn't her father somewhere behind her.

"It's stopped working." Pete murmurs staring down at the hopper in his hands, "He did it. He closed the breach."

"No..." Rose shook her head in denial, and then she felt it, the faint ever present tendrils of the Doctor's mind, her husband now a universe away, so close, yet so painfully far away. She tries to press herself through the wall, searching him out and she knows he can feel her there too. He lets her know he will try anything to find her, that for now she is safe and they saved the universe once again, no one suffering the cost more than the two of them. But they both know the universes are sealed now and all too soon the Doctor's mind fades out to almost nothing. He's gone and with a wipe of her sleeve across her tear streaked face, Rose turns and tries to reign it all in. It's what he would do. Suck it up and carry on. And so she does.

"Right," She ordered moving towards the doors purposefully, "We need to seal this place off. Make sure no one can get in and muck about with it."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Pete replied, "We are Torchwood, or rather what's left of it."

"And Jake." Mickey added. "Mostly it's a skeleton crew, no one wanted to work here after everythin' went pear shaped."

"Still," Rose nodded, "Best close it off, this world doesn't need to be meddlin' with things they don't understand."

"Rose-"

"This place gotta vault," she continued ignoring her mother, "Some place they keep all the stolen tech?"

"Two storeys down is A & R," Pete answered, "Well, what used to be-"

"There's a vault," Mickey confirmed holding up the rather large gun in his possession with a smirk, "It's where I got this baby from-"

"And that's why it's goin back." Rose pressed, "You just can't go flouncin' about with a D-Mat gun."

"Don't you think you're takin' this a bit far-"

"My understanding of things is that Earth has a level 5 planetary designation by order of the shadow proclamation-"

"Rose I don't think-"

"I may not know a lot about anythin' but I know this," She levelled her gaze at Mickey, "The Doctor once said the shadow proclamation were the only thing keepin' out the rest of the universe, if you accelerate the technology too fast we change our designation and then we'll have nothing, do you understand that?"

"No-one's doubting you Rose or the Doctor-" Pete interjected.

"You did once," She replied evenly, her eyes flickering from Mickey to Pete, "And how did that turn out."

The two stared at each other for the longest time until finally Pete caved.

"What are you suggesting?"

"We can't destroy it but we can lock it all away," She reasoned. "Keep an eye on the buildin' make sure no-one goes in or out."

"We can't do that," Mickey disagreed, "There are still Cybermen out there, strange stuff's crawlin' all over the city, you haven't been here you haven't seen what's out there-"

"That's nothing compared to what's out there," She pointed angrily towards the sky.

"You sound like im' ya know-" Mickey snapped.

"Well good," She shouted, "Someone has to."

She stumbled slightly, her breath coming in short pants, the wall now at her back the only thing supporting her weight as the world swam before her eyes.

"Come on love," Jackie soothed wrapping an arm around her daughter with a concerned glance towards Pete, "We should get outta here."

"No, I-" Rose began to protest.

"I'll make sure it's all locked up," Pete spoke up from Jackie's side, "Security won't be a problem, whole place is under surveillance already, but for now, let's go home get some food and rest and we'll sort it all tomorrow yea?"

Rose took one last glance at the wall that had destroyed her life and with a reluctant nod she let her mother lead after Pete into the elevators and out into the waiting car. The hatred for the organisation the caused everything dissipating only slightly as they pulled away from the building.

Nothing much is said on the way back to Pete's, save for his phone call to organise things back at the house, the four of them sat scattered about the limousine, Jackie leaning heavily on Pete's side, Mickey unconsciously sprawled out across another seat exhausted, and Rose staring mutely out the dark tinted windows at a world that wasn't her own as the sun began to fall behind the buildings of London. She hated it already.

Before long they'd arrived at the mansion, it appearing as though nothing had changed and Rose found herself staring at the burn marks still visible in the front lawn from their last visit.

"How long has it been." She asked Mickey as he stepped beside her, following her line of sight.

"Eight months." He shrugged.

"What?" She frowned across at him.

"Time moves different here." He replied, "Bout three months by our reckonin'. We'd been undercover in your Torchwood for months before you showed up."

"It's not my Torchwood." She snapped then apologised, "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise to me Rose," Mickey wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards the house.

"I can't stay here," She whispered.

"Ah it's not so bad here with Pete and Jake," He replied softly. "Besides, where else would you go?"

"I have to find the-"

"He's not comin' back Rose," Mickey shook his head, "He closed the breach, he's not-"

"You don't know im' like I do," She pulled away from his embrace, "He'll find a way-"

"And what if he doesn't." Mickey challenged.

"Then I'll find a way." She sneered. "I have to, he needs me-"

"He tried to send you away again Rose," He snapped, "When are you gonna except that you're just another-"

"Don't you dare Mickey Smith," She pushed past him violently, "You know nothing-"

"I know a prat when I see one-" He called after her, the glare he received in response something he had never seen displayed on her pale features.

Rose barely slept that night, her screams echoing through the house to the point that both Jackie and Mickey had tried to sleep beside her to calm the nightmares that tormented her until finally giving up to sit watching in horror as she thrashed about violently.

When she awoke exhausted the next afternoon she found herself on the floor beside her trainers, a sleeping Jackie in the chair beside the bed and Mickey at her feet snoring softly on her knee.

"Mum?" She murmured, stirring them both.

"Oh Rose," Jackie sobbed quietly. "We were so worried."

"What happened?" She frowned.

"Oh love the nightmares," Jackie sniffed, "I don't know what happened but I was terrified. Reckon you probly woke everyone within a three mile radius of the place."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled pulling herself from the floor, her memories washing over her from the night before and a pain that tore through her chest. "I think I'm gonna go grab a shower yea."

"Sure," Jackie sniffed nodding towards some bags by the door, "Pete had some things sent up in case you needed anything."

"Thank him for me will you?" Rose smiled, "Why don't you go do the same and grab some sleep, you look terrible."

"Oh that's just lovely," Jackie whined, "Spend the night worried sick and she insults me, well I never-"

"Love you mum." She rolled her eyes as she disappeared behind what appeared to be the ensuite door.

"Love you too," She sighed, listening for the sound of running water, "You keep an eye out for her Mickey."

"Always Jackie," He nodded as she left the room.

Without a second thought Mickey stepped into the ensuite and sat himself down behind the shower cubicle.

"Is she gone?" Rose asked poking her wet head out from the shower.

"Yea." Mickey chuckled."Now are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's-"

"Don't lie to me Rose," He rolled his eyes. "You may not be my girl anymore but I know you."

"You're right." She agreed.

"Ah, but about what exactly." He mused.

"I'm- I'm-"

"Yea I thought as much." He smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry Rose."

"Yea." She sniffled softly.

"I'll meet you downstairs ok," He stood and moved to the door, "Take your time and I'll have a hot cuppa waitin', it's the least I can do."

"Thanks Micks."

They were taking tea out on the back porch when she finally surfaced around the corner of the house walking barefoot through the grass, clean but exhausted and red eyed, the day coming to an end once again, unfamiliar sky above her as she gazed up at it.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Mickey queried Jackie softly.

"I don't know Micks." She shook her head. "But maybe now she has a chance at a normal life."

"Yea right," He snorted, "You know that's not what she wanted, never was."

"Yea well himself isn't here now is he." She replied sadly. "She'll have to move on."

"I don't think it's that easy Jackie," Mickey admitted, "The Doctor was somethin' special, you saw her last night, you heard-"

"What are you trying to say?" Jackie frowned.

"There's no-one else for Rose, I don't think she's capable of it." Mickey sighed staring sadly out at his friend. "Literally."

"I'm not following."

"Back when I travelled with them the Doctor told us that his people were telepathic," Mickey supplied sipping his tea. "That back in the old days his people used to bind themsleves together, was their version of gettin' hitched."

"What does that have to do with Rose?" Pete queried confused.

"You can't see it, can you?" He chuckled.

"See what?" Petes' frown deepened.

"She's the Doctor's wife," Jackie breathed in realisation, her heart breaking for her child.

"He's a part of her, I don't know how I know but- well now that part is lost." Mickey sniffed.

"The nightmares-"

"That weren't English she was screamin' all night long."

"Oh Rose." Jackie whispered clutching at Pete's hand as she watched her staring hopelessly up at the darkening sky.

And so when Rose came to her weeks later and said he was calling, they packed up the jeep and set off for a desolate beach in Norway and the second worst day of her daughter's life. And when it was over and she held the shivering, broken girl that was her's and the Doctor's life close to her heart, she hoped that for her sake and for his, that impossible was just a word.


End file.
